Wanda Lewis (Peden) Stroud (1925 - 2012)

Born 3 Apr 1925 in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Otto Gilbert Stroud — married 23 Jan 1943 in Dearborn, Michigan, USA

Descendants

Died 2 Oct 2012 at age 87 in Marion, Mississippi, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Sarah Buchanan [send private message]

Biography

Wanda was born on 4-3-1925 in Detroit, MI.  Her parents are the late Robert Alexander and Zora Harlow Peden. Both the Pedens and the Harlows were long-time families of Glasgow, Barren County, Kentucky. Bob and Zora Peden moved to Michigan after World War I.  Wanda had two brothers, Robert Harlow “Bob” and Richard Allen.

At 16 years old at Christmas time in 1941 her parents allowed Wanda to travel to Mississippi with her friend and next-door neighbor, Margaret Dean.  Margaret’s father, Bruce Dean was Fronie Stroud’s brother. Wanda and Margaret were sitting in Bruce’s car on the street in Newton when a young man, Otto Gilbert "Blue" Stroud came to the car to say hello. Margaret Dean was Gilbert’s first cousin and she introduced Wanda to Gilbert that day. 

In April 1942 Gilbert came to Michigan in hopes of finding work and to look up that pretty young lady named Wanda.  After they courted for a few months, on Christmas 1942 Gilbert asked Wanda to marry him.  Gilbert was being drafted into the Army so they were married on 1-23-1943 in her parents’ home by Rev. James Wesley Saterfield, who was Bruce and Fronie’s brother-in-law, married to their oldest sister, Bertie. 

Wanda finished school and graduated in June 1943 from Fordson High School in Dearborn.  She and Gilbert started their new life together stationed in North Carolina for Gilbert’s basic training.  While they were there for a short time due to Gilbert’s knee injury, Wanda worked in a cafeteria.  Wanda also worked in the Kressgies’ Dime Store. 

They started their family when Robert Perry was born in 1944, their first of nine children with their baby, John Kenneth, being born in 1964. All nine of their children were born in Detroit, MI over the time span of 20 years. While pregnant with Glenn, Wanda was a member on a bowling team. Gilbert and Wanda spent time in Pasadena, CA and Poplar Bluff, MO. In 1971 they moved to the Beat Four area of Wayne County where Wanda had an Avon route to earn extra money for the family.

Then in 1973 the family settled in Jones County in the Myrick community. Wanda volunteered at Myrick Elementary school as the school nurse and worked as the caregiver and sitter for an older woman who lived in Laurel and was unable to care for herself. Wanda and Gilbert seemed to always have a house full when their children and grandchildren would come for a visit and sometimes sleep over. Many times the grandchildren would bring their friends too. Even though some of their children had their own families and lived off in other states, over time many of them moved to the Laurel area.

Perry now lives in Ellisville, Glenn lives near by and David lived not far from the family home until his recent death.  Tom retired a few years back, moved from Maryland and now lives in Myrick with his mom. Wanda turned 87 on her most recent birthday.   She still enjoys reading and working crossword and Sudoku puzzles. She also enjoys playing cards and putting jigsaw puzzles together. She cares deeply about injustice and keeps up on politics and current events by reading the paper and watching the news each day. She enjoys hearing from and seeing her children, grandchildren, great grands and great great grands. To this day her family comes to Wanda for advice, encouragement and prayer, which she provides as God enables her.

Gilbert and Wanda had 19 grandchildren, Janice Louise, Bridget Lynn, Laura Jean, Bonnie Sue, Tina Marie, David Allen, Jr., Steven Paul, Jacob Cain, Matthew Thomas, Stacie Renea, Scott Aaron, Kristy Michelle, Rebecca Lynn, Memory Caroline, Samuel Ebraham, Robert Alden, Brian Schaeffer, Timothy David and Cassandra Kay Cassie.

Gilbert and Wanda also have 38 great grandchildren and 8 great great grandchildren.

Notes

Ladonna- not sure if you want to include them or not, but my mom considers Annie's children her grands. :)  George Nathan, Howard Eugene and Rethia Gail.

If you include Debra Marie Bozwell Shafer you get 10 children, 22 grandchildren, and 39 3/4 great-grandchildren, and 8 great-great grandchildren.

She passed away in 2012.

Sources

• WikiTree profile Peden-86 created through the import of dad_2012-08-01.ged on Aug 2, 2012 by John Stroud. See the Changes page for the details of edits by John and others.

• 1930 USA Federal Census Publication: Name: Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002; Repository: #R00001 1930 USA Federal Census (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2002), USA, Bureau of the Census, Fifteenth Census of the USA, 1930, Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930 CONT .

Repository: R00001

• U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1 Publication: Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010; Repository: #R00001

• U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), Voter Registration Lists, Public Record Filings, Historical Residential Records, and Other Household Database Listings.